Lagos Fashion and Design Week (LFDW) is something we look forward to each year. It is an annual event, which attracts over 6,000 fashion insiders, including buyers, retailers, local & international press, celebrities, models, and special guests will feature an exciting four day line-up, consisting of the Fashion Business Series, LFDW X Retail, the #HeinekenLFDW After Party and Africa’s finest fashion design talent.

The event was formally announced to the press at a cocktail held at Heineken House on the 11th of October 2016. Speaking at the event were: Omoyemi Akerele – Founder Style House Files and Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week; Sampson Oloche – Portfolio manager, International Premium, Heineken; Londe Thompson – Project Manager, LFDW Fashion Focus; and Ronke Adeola – Project Manager, Fashion Business Series and XRETAIL.

Omoyemi Akerele, expanded on the initiatives spearheaded by Style House Files and supported by Nigerian Export Promotion Council which ran throughout the course of the year leading up to #HKLFDW. These initiatives with the objective to ensure that opportunities abound in the sector for skills acquisition, apparel manufacturing, access to market, included: The International Fashion Showcase in London featuring designers from the Fashion Focus Program; The Magic Trade Show in Las Vegas; The Fashion Business series seminars which for the first time, will host two editions in a year; and the apparel manufacturing courses running at the Human Capital Development Centre in Apapa.

Commenting on these initiatives and this year’s event, the Executive Director and Founder of LFDW Omoyemi Akerele said, ‘The underlying vision has always been to move the conversation beyond fashion towards creating an ecosystem of thriving fashion businesses that can impact the Nigerian economic landscape. It’s about adding value to the industry, through creating various platforms that allow knowledge acquisition, skills development, access to market and showcasing talents to a networked global audience”.

Speaking on Heineken’s involvement this year, Sampson Oloche – Portfolio manager, International Premium, said “Heineken is an innovative brand that has proven itself as a supporter of local businesses, entrepreneurs and the creative industry with our continued support of Lagos Fashion and Design Week. This year, the World’s No. 1 International premium beer brand, will continue to push the boundaries in creating innovative designs and experiences”.

Funmi Daniel

Londe Thompson, Project Manager Fashion Focus, talked through the programs new direction and the impact created during the Fashion Focus X British Council Creative Hustle Seminars recently held in Lagos, Enugu, Calabar and Abuja. In addition, the LFDW Fashion Focus scouting which took the form of a competitive open process aimed at selecting five Fashion Focus candidates, who will be enrolled in the program for a year.

Commenting on the program, she said,

“Fashion Focus presents unique opportunities for emerging talents to harness their skills through business development, creative workshops, and a mentorship/internship. This year-long opportunity affords young designers with the tools they need to facilitate innovation, growth and commercial success”.

Fashion Focus is supported by The British Council and The African Fashion Fund.

Cynthia Okochu and Londe Thompson – Project Manager Fashion Focus

In line with LFDW’s role as catalysts on the scene, Fashion Business Series will host its 4th season tagged “Beyond Fashion” in partnership with FETS Wallet and Pal Pensions announced Ronke Adeola, its project manager. Day 2 of #FBS will feature Fashionomics, a presentation which will explore how the African fashion value chains can be upgraded, making use of the talent, creativity and market opportunities in Africa at the global level where demand for African fashion is growing through a Business to Business online platform created by the African Development Bank which will become operational in the first quarter of 2017.

LFDW X Retail is back! Designed to further position retail as a primary tool that contributes to the growth of the Nigerian fashion industry, this initiative will be pushed by the Style House Files #BuyNigerian campaign. Positioned as a commercial hub, guests will be able to shop a curated selection of fashion and lifestyle products from the 28th – 29th of October 2016.

Full Event Line-Up

It is going to be an exciting event with a full line-up of activities. The runway shows will run from 26th to 29th October, 2015, from 5pm to 10pm each day. Between the days, there will be a Fashion Business Series, which will take place on the 27th of October, 2016, from 10am to 3pm. On the 28th, there will be Fashionomics from 9am – 1pm. Finally, XRETAIL will take place on the 28th and 29th of October, 11am – 6pm. These are going to be full days for those who will be attending.

Supporting organizations of the Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week include Maybelline Jumia, FETS Wallet, NEPC, Sterling Bank, Vlisco and The British Council.

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